'Something Feels So Different About Ealing'
Green activist Darren Moore highlights some positives derived from the current situation
It was back on the 23rd March the Government issued instructions for everybody to stay at home and from the deserted streets of Ealing, it looks like we’ve done a great job in following the social distancing instructions.
It’s very concerning to hear stories of our frontline medical staff lacking in the basic protective equipment and the ability to be tested for COVID19. It is also very shocking to hear the death toll from COVID19 rise higher every day and my thoughts go out to those affected by this disease. It certainly can’t be denied that Ealing feels very different at the moment and people are wondering if things will ever be the same again.
For the people of Ealing who have been used to the incessant noise of planes taking off or landing at Heathrow or the constant drone of the cars speeding down the M4, there is a new sense of calmness. Maybe we’d all got used to the continual interruptions in our world but it is making a huge difference to our wellbeing as peace descends across our town.
Not only has noise pollution been massively reduced but air pollution too. I thought it was my imagination when I went out for my daily run and thought the sun felt brighter and the air tasted cleaner. But the pollution sensors back this up, it’s not my imagination, all the sensors are green across London with the air even on our most polluted roads being below legal levels for the first time in decades. With 9,000 people dying early each year in London from air pollution this is great news for those at risk from the effects of air pollution
Although it is early days, the London Air Quality Network has shown that both Nitrogen Dioxide and particulate matter has fallen across London by almost 50%. Across the Wuhan region, there have been bigger drops and a reduction in the smog suffered there. Northern Italy has seen unprecedented reductions in pollutants: dangerous NO2 levels in Milan and other parts of northern Italy have fallen by about 40%.
What’s exciting for me, as a member of the Green Party is not only the reduction in noise and air pollution but also people’s renewed interest in nature and being active. In fact, once the shops were shut people thronged to our local green spaces, although unfortunately so much so that they had to close Osterley Park and issue new Government instructions.
However, with our local population visiting our green spaces and getting active, hopefully, they will help fight to protect them from development in the future.
Thankfully we still have access to Warren Farm and the other amazing green spaces of Ealing where the Ealing Wildlife Group has been reporting many new sightings of wildlife. It’s not quite Llandudno in Wales where the goats have taken over the town but we may have to watch out for an invasion from the deer of Richmond Park!
lso, hand in hand with the massive reduction of car use in the area it is likely that there has been a massive reduction in road casualties. In fact, given there are about 100 casualties on Ealing roads every month, it is likely that the reduction in traffic has decreased this significantly. Personally I’ve enjoyed the streets being reclaimed for runners and cyclists so that we can enjoy our daily exercise whilst maintaining our social distancing
Not only has there been a resurgence in local wildlife but many local businesses have been flourishing too. Local food producers in Northfields have been overwhelmed by orders for their products, and our local bars and breweries have been out in force delivering food and drink to locked down neighbours.
Reduced noise, a reduction in air pollution, the protection of nature and a greater reliance on local businesses are all things that our Green organisations have been campaigning for locally for years.
The current circumstances are a terrible nightmare for our community and our country.
However, once we get through this crisis maybe we will look at everything in a different way and appreciate the greener Ealing that we are seeing glimpses of today.
Darren Moore
April 2020
April 8th 2020